A House in the Sky

Product Details

The dramatic and redemptive memoir of a woman whose curiosity led her to the world’s most beautiful and remote places, its most imperiled and perilous countries, and then into fifteen months of harrowing captivity—an exquisitely written story of courage, resilience, and grace

As a child, Amanda Lindhout escaped a violent household by paging through issues of National Geographic and imagining herself in its exotic locales. At the age of nineteen, working as a cocktail waitress in Calgary, Alberta, she began saving her tips so she could travel the globe. Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each adventure, went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a television reporter. And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Somalia—“the most dangerous place on earth.” On her fourth day, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road.

Held hostage for 460 days, Amanda converts to Islam as a survival tactic, receives “wife lessons” from one of her captors, and risks a daring escape. Moved between a series of abandoned houses in the desert, she survives on memory—every lush detail of the world she experienced in her life before captivity—and on strategy, fortitude, and hope. When she is most desperate, she visits a house in the sky, high above the woman kept in chains, in the dark, being tortured.

Vivid and suspenseful, as artfully written as the finest novel, A House in the Sky is the searingly intimate story of an intrepid young woman and her search for compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Preview Your Review

Your Review Has Been Submitted

Educational/Developmental Value:

Durability:

Hours of Play:

Thank you. Your review has been submitted and will appear here shortly.

Reviews

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Tabbycat from
Fantastic Book!I bought it as part of my 2015 New Years resolution to take some me time this year and dedicate it to reading at least 1 book a month! What a fantastic read and totally inspiring 1st read to start my reading journey again!!

Date published: 2015-03-01

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Melona_Gallagher from
Read this book - Wow, Riveting!Gives me a whole new understanding of the Muslim world and the strength these two people, especially Amanda, endured to live through it and give back to the community & people who toured her and save her.

Date published: 2015-02-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Emily from
The book that got me back into reading!I'd been starting and stopping reading, losing interest, for a number of months and really needed a good book to reignite my passion. Amanda Lindhout's book was it!
I liked this book because it had elements of travel, culture, history, romance, and religion wrapped into one suspenseful, and quite gripping, memoir. I've never been someone who felt compelled to read all day or into the night, but with this book, I was. I finished this book feeling a deep connection to the author, and more aware of the state of Somalia. Highly, highly, recommend this title.

Date published: 2015-01-15

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Anita from
All people will learn truly human lessons from this book that they take with them through life.I ordered two copies of this book. One for myself and one to give to a woman I've never met who lives in Puerto Rico that I was in an online gift exchange with. I will buy more copies as gifts in the future. I remember seeing Amanda on the news when she was a captive and being afraid for her and frustrated that there seemed to be nothing that we, as Canadians, could do for her. I kept asking "why would she go to Somalia?" So one of the reasons I wanted to read the book was to gain an understanding of why she would go there. I gained much more than an understanding of that. This book is a testament to the amazing strength that the human spirit is capable of and of the awesome internal strength that women have. The strategies that she used in her mind to survive are incredible and the strategies she used with her captives were wise and intelligent and we can all learn from that. What she went through was a harrowing nightmare. That she survived and was able to tell her story is a blessing. Amanda has gone on to found a charity organization and gone back to Somalia to help the people there which is even more amazing! What an example of forgiveness and compassion. I highly recommend this book. Amanda's story is one that will stick with me through my life. When I have moments where I feel like I can't go on or I can't do something I will think of her and know that I can.

Date published: 2014-12-28

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Arlene_Somerton_Smith from
A House in the SkyThis one will stay with me for a while.
Since I finished reading, my mind returns again and again to memorable scenes, pivotal moments, and mystical insights.
For most of us, international travel is an occasional money-depleting endeavour undertaken between long stretches of home, but for Amanda Lindhout, home was an occasional money-replenishing pastime undertaken between long stretches of international travel. Lindhout backpacked around the world, ticking off countries on an invisible list, comparing and contrasting the reality of them to National Geographic pages she thumbed through as a child. The National Geographic photos were one of the stable factors in an often turbulent childhood.
The book begins with the stories of this childhood, which, if examined deeply enough, might merit a book of their own. Her memories of this time are both not really relevant and entirely relevant to the core of what this memoir is about: a kidnapping Somalia. For readers to understand how Lindhout ends up in Somalia at one of its most dangerous times in history, she needs to tell us the childhood and teenage events that shaped her, and she needs to delineate her evolution from "carefree young backpacker" to "aspiring war correspondent." And she needs to let us know how Nigel Brennan ended up along with her on such a horrific journey.
This book takes reader on an up-and-down emotional ride: a downer of violence and alcohol abuse, an exciting ascending stretch of international travel to exotic locations, a gut-clenching plateau of apprehension because we know what lies ahead, a long, slow descent into horror, and finally an upward coast to healing, forgiveness and plans for the future.
Lindhout gives an honest account of her missteps and her self-blame and guilt, especially when it comes to the complicated relationship with Nigel. She shares how she used the power of imagination and gratitude to persevere through months of boredom, and physical hardship.
Lindhout and Corbett write a compelling story that, at the end of it all, is a tribute to the power of compassion and spirit. It stays with you for a while.

Date published: 2014-11-05

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Chihoe_Ho from
A House of Courage and InspirationI remember the time I met Amanda Lindhout and heard her speak. This was before I'd read the book, and what she shared in person moved me greatly and inspired me to tears. Yes, I was crying just from listening to the snippets of information she had shared about her life, her abduction, and the aftermath.
From her younger years of traveling in search of freedom and independence, her years of coming into her own and finding her calling, to that fateful day and the 15 months that came after, "A House in the Sky" is written beautifully. It is descriptive as events unfolded without being clunky, it is reflective about the bigger picture of life, and it is introspective with the personal experiences of Lindhout. The biography's captivating engagement felt very much like Lindhout speaking directly to me in a very personal manner, just like she had in person even in a room full of people. This is when I know how very "her" it is, and how very difficult it must be for her to be so open and raw.
While "A House in the Sky" is Lindhout's kidnapping and survival story, I must make mention of the issues that she touches on too - the engrained fundamentalistic upbringing of some of her extremist kidnappers that makes them believe that what they are doing is for a greater cause, and the poverty and torment that some of them has lived through that forces them to take desperate measures. Education is a key part in changing this. Lindhout knows it (as also reflected in Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea, no matter how contested it is), and she has done great respectable work since her release through the Global Enrichment Foundation which she founded. There is also the forgiveness that she has extended to her abductors, and to herself. Live and learn, and always hold hope.
Amanda Lindhout is a person of strength, courage, and faith. What she has shared in "A House in the Sky" makes it one of those memoirs that will not let you go. It will constantly be a part of your memory and of your knowledge because of how powerful and affecting it is. It might not change your life drastically even though it has changed hers, but it will definitely at least make you stop and think about choices you have made and will make.

Date published: 2014-11-05

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Bobby_Karmakar from
Courage in "the Program?"Suddenly, the knuckles on one of my hands exploded in pain. Someone had kicked my hand to loosen my grip on the pole. I howled and let go.? The same hand that signed my copy? The same hand that penned her experience? OW! It stung me there.
Before I got a copy, I first read a chapter at the library that was on display. The scene was a phone transcript conversation in the middle of the book and it had me there. I got the glimpse of why everyone is raving about this book and bought a copy. It shipped later with preorders in early October but returned it since I won a signed copy from Indigo?s Twitter contest, since I also read it now for their World?s Biggest Book Club discussion.
I read reviews that said this book will touch you, stay with you, and often find that one story that makes you very emotional while reading. No duh because Ms.Lindhout?s blood sweat and tears are literally dried onto many copies. Others for instance said it?s dry, repetitive, and boring. I agree to both positive and negative comments because it was repetitive but what else is there to know when you?re kidnapped and held in hostage for so long? The fact that Ms.Lindhout has been able to revisit that experience and continue being the woman she is today, doesn?t only make her strong but very courageous. Brave too but she knew she was until she faced those months of torturing captivity.

Date published: 2014-10-29

Rated 5 out of
5 by
suekitty13 from
What a brave, strong and amazing woman!Oh...my...god! There are no words. I was an ugly crying, blubbering mess for the last part of this book. I cried myself to sleep! I met Amanda Lindhout at a book signing recently and I know that she is healthy, smiling, beautiful and seems at peace but reading about what she went through ripped my heart out. This is most certainly the most difficult book I have ever read. Part of me wishes that I had never read it or that I could wipe the horror from my mind because I will never forget it. I'm pretty sure that years from now I still won't be able to talk about this book without crying.

Date published: 2014-10-28

Rated 3 out of
5 by
EnglishRose from
worth readingI found the first 125 pages the most challenging to get through. I enjoyed reading about the author's background and how she came to want to travel with her world travels pre-kidnapping serving to lead us to meet Nigel, however, I also found them boring and a wee bit pretentious. Close to the end of those first 100 pages I started to feel restless waiting for the meat and potatoes so to speak to begin and I began skipping forward and then reading back. The middle part of the book, detailing the time in captivity was well written and while not being graphic detailed the abhorrent things that happened to her. I was particularly interested to read how she used her mind and places in her mind to help her survive. I would have liked very much to have had a more expansive ending. I felt a little disappointed as it felt quite abrupt. Nothing much was said about Nigel, although we hear he wrote his own book. I would have like some more details on her recovery in those first days. How are her parents coping paying for the ransom etc... All in all a fast, compelling read.

Date published: 2014-10-24

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Nina from
Strength, Hope, and SurvivalIt was hard to stomach the experience this woman went through. I really admired her strength, courage and her fight for survival, it was inspiring and i'm glad she made it. I hope Amanda Lindhout can find peace in her life after her ordeal.

Date published: 2014-09-27

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Christine from
Hard to Put DownI can't remember why I decided to purchase this book. I know I read something positive about it somewhere and it was on my "to read" list. Well, I couldn't put it down. I was so drawn to Amanda. It seems somehow not right to say it was a good book. It was well written BU it took you to places no person should ever have to go to and have to endure. Bottom line, it is a book about survival. And survive she did. But at what cost? Not to sound overly dramatic, but while reading this book, I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about Amanda and her situation and not be able to get back to sleep. Once I finished it, I put the book on a shelf, almost afraid to touch it. I felt burned. I wish Amanda well and hope she finds peace for the rest of her life.

Date published: 2014-09-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
HappyNan from
Thought provoking.Compelling and thought provoking. Whether you agree with the Amanda's motives or not, this book is hard to put down.

Date published: 2014-09-14

Rated 5 out of
5 by
JJLaw from
Writing Perfection!This book is absolutely powerful and beautifully written. Everyone would enjoy this book!

Date published: 2014-08-27

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Marissa_Biebert from
DividedI received this book as a gift for my birthday last year. I don't generally read biographies or stories of this nature.
On one hand, it was put together well by the author--there isn't much 'poor me, poor me' or blame placed on the rest of the world for having a rough start in her life, or what happened to her later in Somalia (which would have meant me putting the book down) but at the same time, I must agree with some other reviews here in that it was repetitive. I realize she needs to sculpt the story and can't really jump from day one to day 300 to omit any overlap, but I think she did succeed fairly well in not taking us too much through the menial, day-to-day existence she must have experienced more than we read about.
There were moments in the book I found incredibly difficult to read, including the torture and sexual abuse she endured. While not graphic, per se, having spent a lot of time in her head and her world, only to read how she was so horribly treated, took its toll on me. I also found the finale, while the story ultimately ends with the positive ending and their release, to be rather anti-climactic. Nothing really... happens. Perhaps that's just me, but everything kind of shifts back to normal. I suppose in a way I was expecting that, though.
So while I wouldn't say this was the most ground-breaking book I've ever read, I wouldn't toss it in the trash, either! If biography or real-life drama is your thing, you'll probably enjoy Ms. Lindhout's novel.

Date published: 2014-08-05

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jess from
The Power of Hope and the Strength of the Human SpiritBeautifully written and deeply moving. This book will stay with me forever - by far, the best memoir I have ever read. Amanda Lindhout's strength and courage is inspiring. Although, at times, difficult to read because of the unimaginable cruelty and abuse described, the memoir is filled with a powerful message - hope always exists, even in the darkest of times and places.

Date published: 2014-08-04

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Betty_in_Smithers from
Amazing true story, beautiful, horrific, courageous. I couldn't stop reading.This book will take your breath away. From an abusive household in Alberta, Canada as a child whose escape is found in old National Geographic books, Amanda has no idea how much she is learning about escaping into her mind or how much she will need this in her future. Her future as she sees it is travelling to the many countries she reads about. After she and her brothers move with her mother to a safe house, she starts planning for a future to include this travel.
Amanda Lindhout's memoir is a masterpiece of how the mind can change itself whenever it needs to, how it compensates, over-rides, and deals with the worst kinds of trauma to keep lifeblood flowing. But not to get ahead of myself, first Amanda finds a way to earn enough money to finance a trip to South America. The first of many trips interspersed with coming home to work for more money. As a cocktail waitress, she has advanced through the ranks until she is in a place to earn high tips, enough to make a trip every year. This takes her to countries in South and Central America, Asia and Africa as what she considers a beginning to many more amazing places. The writing in this stage of the book is absolutely wonderful, bringing to mind all those National Geographics, while she backpacks her way through these countries, we feel we are seeing what she is seeing, experiencing what she is experiencing. She makes us feel what she is feeling, and it is consistently beautiful. Some countries like India and Pakistan she visits more than once, but then she begins to expand her horizons: Afghanistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Ethiopia....
Between trips she turns again to cocktail waitressing, but her need to be somewhere exotic takes over every year, and each trip she gets deeper into dangerous territory. She travels fr a time with a freelance photographer, decides that next trip she wants to show the world to everyone. She becomes a freelance photojournalist, occasionally selling photos and stories to various papers and magazines. She has teamed up with Nigel, another freelance photographer, an Australian. When she decides to head into war zones, she asks him to join her and he semi-reluctantly does. Here the book shifts dramatically. It is 2008 and she has chosen to go into Somalia.
Once in Somalia, known as the 'most dangerous country in the world,' everything changes. Although at first she and Nigel are enjoying the relatively 'safe' city of Mogadishu, on the fourth day she, Nigel, and their drivers are abducted by extremist Muslims. Assuming that all North Americans are rich, their abductors set an impossibly high ransom, which their parents are unable to even come near to paying and their respective governments have no intention of paying. Thus begins their ordeal which will last for 463 days of captivity and isolation. Kept in one room at first, they pretend they want to convert to Islam as a way of staying alive. They are visited sometimes by their captors wanting to learn English, and to teach them the Koran.
As time goes by and their captors' demands are not met, they are moved from house to house, always in the dark. Nigel and Amanda escape from one of the houses and are recaptured. From that point on, the two are completely separated and are shackled; Amanda gets the brunt of punishment as a woman, which includes rape, beatings and torture but she is able to separate herself in her mind from what is happening, a product of her childhood days. She is kept in complete darkness, later she is also bound and gagged. As fever takes over, beatings and rape continue almost daily but she is now living in her mind and guided by a calmness brought on by what seems to be a voice and is able to use different approaches to this separation of her being and her mind. Her mind's eye sees a beautiful house, one that she constructs room by room, floor by floor, until it reaches the sky. A focus for survival.
When finally rescued, neither Amanda nor Nigel are able to comprehend the fact that they are free. They can't comprehend that the food they are given is meant for them, they are fearful it will be taken away or they will be beaten. Both are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it will take a long time to learn how to handle that. It may never be gone. But Amanda has built that inner strength from her ordeals and although the fear is always with her, she becomes forgiving of many things, including forgiving herself.
In the Epilogue, we learn that she founds a non-profit organization, the Global Enrichment Foundation to help provide and support education in Somalia, and partnering with other groups, funding scholarships to thirty-six Somalian women attending university, among other projects. This book is gut-wrenchingly real, powerful, and well-written; although the memories and fears of the atrocities are obviously very much a part of her, she has chosen to move on with her life in a positive way.
This review is based on an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

Date published: 2014-07-03

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Cecilesune from
Incredible story of an amazing womanAmanda Lindhout, a Canadian freelance journalist, and Nigel Brennan, an Australian photographer, traveled to Somalia in the summer of 2008 to report on the war raging in this country. What should have been a one-week short trip turned into a 15-month nightmare when Amanda and Nigel were kidnapped by a group of rebels. This book tells Amanda’s harrowing and heartbreaking story. Deeply moving, it is very well written and manages to be strangely uplifting. Despite enduring starvation, torture and sexual abuse, Amanda Lindhout didn’t lose hope of one day being free.
I met Amanda Lindhout when she came to Ottawa on Saturday 26 October 2013. She is a tall, skinny and beautiful young woman, with long dark hair. While she seemed to be doing okay, she told us that she suffers from severe PTSD and that she is afraid of the dark. She credits her family, her psychologist and meditation with helping her heal. She chose to forgive her captors, to let go of the anger and hatred. She explained that this is a gift to herself, not to her kidnappers. In May 2010, Amanda established the Global Enrichment Foundation to allow Somali women to get an education and to fund a famine relief program. Next fall, she is planning to go to university, and she would like to write a book on recovery.
Please go to my blog, Cecile Sune - Bookobsessed, if you would like to read more reviews or discover fun facts about books and authors.

Date published: 2014-04-10

Rated 5 out of
5 by
ev_reiko from
Incredibly CaptivatingAbsolutely one of the best memoirs I've read. Lindhout allows you to be part of her journey and really connect with where she's been and what she experienced. Her description of her early travels to South and Central America make you want to jump on a plane right away and her experiences make you question why you have yet to see these things for yourself. More importantly, the book was both awe-inspiring and eye-opening in the descriptions and details of her time in Somalia. Her description of the change in her mental and physical self is incredibly powerful alongside the constant question of what the future held.

Date published: 2014-03-26

Rated 5 out of
5 by
MLeginus from
Such a moving read!I was given this book from a friend from Christmas. I am SO glad I got it, as it was such a touching book. My mind was opened to what the world can really be like, we are told about stories on the news, but not quite how it really goes. I would recommend reading this book, it will open your eyes!

Date published: 2014-03-15

Rated 4 out of
5 by
nek123 from
Inspirational story about strength and forgivenessI discovered this book after reading an article on Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan's captivity in Somalia in MacLean's Magazine. A colleague of mine lent me Lindhout's book A house in the sky recounting the events leading up to the kidnapping, the months spent in captivity, their release and the struggle to move on past this traumatic event.
The inner battle that Lindhout carried out with herself to stay strong and hold on to life despite the abusive, violent and degrading acts committed by her abductors is inspirational. What impressed me most was her great compassion to understand the mindset of her kidnappers and her forgiving nature to move past all the wrongs that were done to her simply because she was a woman.
A very good read that challenges your views on humanity and spirituality.
I have a lot of admiration for Lindhout's courage, strength and spiritual triumph.

Date published: 2014-03-10

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Gwen from
Amazing Story of StrenghtWhen I first picked up this book and started reading it, I didn't realize it was a true story. Amanda is a very strong woman and is an inspiration. I really enjoyed this book and had a very hard time putting it down to get other things done.

Date published: 2014-02-04

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Skittle from
Beautifully writtenAfter months of struggling to read any book at all, I devoured this book in days. I was initially drawn in by the beautiful cover and quickly became drawn in to the beautiful and heart wrenching story within. Amanda's story is eloquently told in A House in the Sky and leaves you contemplating not only the ugliness in this world, but the redemptive and risiliant power of the human spirit. Judge this book by it's cover. It is worth taking the time to read.

Date published: 2014-01-17

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Reader1 from
A House In the SkyWell written. I couldn't put it down. Don't know where Amanda found her strength.

Date published: 2013-12-28

Rated 5 out of
5 by
MrCorr from
Amanda's strength is inspiring...The tale of how she survived the 460 days in captivity is a powerful and emotional roller-coaster where all readers can learn a thing or two about strength and perseverance.

Date published: 2013-12-19

Rated 4 out of
5 by
darlie from
An amazing storyAn amazing story of strength and forgiveness.

Date published: 2013-12-16

Rated 5 out of
5 by
carocous from
Inspiring & BeautifulI was first attract by the beauty of its cover but I then realized that it was an autobiography (I love love love non-fiction books!). I was scotch to this book from the beginning to the end. What an amazing story (horrible, frustrating, eye-opener, beautiful story!). Amanda Lindhout is one of the strongest person I had the chance to read about. I can't believe her humbleness, kindness & perseverance. Everyone should read her story. It is now in my top 5 favorite books.

Date published: 2013-12-05

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Weasel from
Repetitive, DisappointingThe horrors the author experienced are something no person should have to endure and I am happy for her that she survived. However, the book is choppy and hard to read and Lindhout herself is hard to like.

Date published: 2013-12-01

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Sheri_Mercer from
I could not stop reading this book. Excellent read and highly recommend everyone to read it

Date published: 2013-11-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
bcsue from
The House in the SkyI couldn't put this book down. It is a true story and though it does get very graphic, it is not in a sensationalized way . I found myself crying in many parts , so it is not for the faint of heart . I do believe it was written to show the strength of the human spirit and how one can cling to life, trust, and home, even in our darkest times.Amanda Lindhout is my newest hero and has a wonderful spirit about her.

Date published: 2013-11-14

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Judith from
PhenomenalThis was a book that I had to force myself to put down. The author's experiences, both before and during her captivity, were so vivid that I almost felt like I was there. The story is mesmerizing. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Date published: 2013-10-24

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Karen_Hannah from
Awesome storyI could not put this book down, very well written. A great story of terrible events in the life of a woman, and how the human spirit can triumph. From here survival in an abusive household, and then her capture in Somalia, her physical and mental strength is astounding. I hope Amanda is happy and healthy and has found peace in her life.

Date published: 2013-10-07

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Luanne_Ollivier from
Powerful.....If you only read one memoir this year, make it A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett. Amanda Lindhout is from Alberta, Canada. As a young child living in a turbulent household, she collected and cashed in bottles. And what did she spend her money on? Old National Geographic magazines. Amanda escaped into the pages,dreaming of one day visiting the exotic places pictured. At nineteen she has saved enough money from waitressing to make those dreams a reality. Her first trip abroad is to Venezuela. "I had seen this place in the magazine, and now we were here, lost in it. It was a small truth affirmed. And it was all I needed to keep going." Lindhout repeats the cycle, earning, then travelling. She visits most of Latin America, India, Burma, Ethiopia, Syria, Pakistan, Sudan and dozens more. Her joy in exploring and experiencing new places and people is tangible. But, each trip she takes is a little further off the beaten path. And finally, she's travelling to some of the most war torn countries in the world. In Kabul, Afghanistan she begins a career as a fledgling freelance /journalist/photojournalist - with no formal training, associations or contacts. With some success under her belt, she heads next to Baghdad, Iraq to work as a reporter for Iran's Press TV. Moving on from there she decides to head to Mogadishu, Somalia in 2008 - bigger stories might help her career take off faster. She wonders if an old flame, Nigel Brennan, an Aussie photographer wants to join her. He does.......and four days after their arrival in Somalia, they are kidnapped by insurgents from an Islamic fundamentalist group. And, they are held.... for 460 days. "It was here, finally, that I started to believe this story would be one I'd never get to tell, that I would become an erasure, an eddy in a river pulled suddenly flat. I began to feel certain that, hidden inside Somalia, inside this unknowable and stricken place, we would never be found." A House in the Sky is Amanda's recounting of those 460 days. She is beaten, starved, chained up, kept in the dark, raped and tortured. These are the facts. “There are parts of my story that I may one day be able to recover and heal from, and, to whatever degree possible, forget about them and move on. But there are parts of my story that are so horrific that once they are shared, other people’s minds will keep them alive.” How she survives is a story that had me tearing up, putting the book down and walking away from it so many times. It's a difficult read, but is such a testament to the human spirit and will. Amanda names each of the houses they are held in - Bomb-Making House, Electric House, Tacky House and more. But it is the House in the Sky that had me freely sobbing - at the worst of times she builds a house in her mind, filled with the people she loves and the memories she treasures, the future she dreams of. "I was safe and protected. It was where all the voices that normally tore through my head expressing fear and wishing for death went silent, until there was only one left speaking . It was a calmer, stronger voice, one that to me felt divine. It said, 'See? You are okay, Amanda. It's only your body that's suffering, and you are not your body. The rest of you is fine.' " The journey to their release is gut-wrenching, incredibly powerful and impossible to put down. I stopped many times to look at the smiling author picture of Amanda on the back, wondering how in the world she survived. Survived and forgave. And as I turned the last page, I just sat. Sat and thought. This is a book that will stay with you, long after that last page. Read an excerpt of A House in the Sky. Amanda Lindhout is the founder of the Global Enrichment Foundation - "a non -profit organization that supports development, aid and education initiatives in Somalia and Kenya

– More About This Product –

A House in the Sky

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 1451651694

ISBN - 13: 9781451651690

From the Publisher

The dramatic and redemptive memoir of a woman whose curiosity led her to the world&#8217;s most beautiful and remote places, its most imperiled and perilous countries, and then into fifteen months of harrowing captivity&#8212;an exquisitely written story of courage, resilience, and grace

As a child, Amanda Lindhout escaped a violent household by paging through issues of National Geographic and imagining herself in its exotic locales. At the age of nineteen, working as a cocktail waitress in Calgary, Alberta, she began saving her tips so she could travel the globe. Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each adventure, went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a television reporter. And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Somalia&#8212;&#8220;the most dangerous place on earth.&#8221; On her fourth day, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road.

Held hostage for 460 days, Amanda converts to Islam as a survival tactic, receives &#8220;wife lessons&#8221; from one of her captors, and risks a daring escape. Moved between a series of abandoned houses in the desert, she survives on memory&#8212;every lush detail of the world she experienced in her life before captivity&#8212;and on strategy, fortitude, and hope. When she is most desperate, she visits a house in the sky, high above the woman kept in chains, in the dark, being tortured.

Vivid and suspenseful, as artfully written as the finest novel, A House in the Sky is the searingly intimate story of an intrepid young woman and her search for compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Editorial Reviews

&#8220;A House in the Sky is the riveting story, exquisitely told, of a young woman&#8217;s passionate quest to create an uncommonly large life, against all odds. Amanda Lindhout&#8217;s journey is a singular one, an epic adventure that ranges from colorful to gripping, in which the stakes are nothing less than absolutely everything. With stunning honesty and clarity, Lindhout and Corbett have made certain of two things: No reader will ever forget this book&#8212;or be able to put it down.&#8221;